Being Both Teacher and Parent

As Detroit Prep adds years under its belt, it also continues to add to an unofficial group of us who work at the same school our own children attend. I believe I was the first member!  My oldest daughter - who at the end of this school year will be in our first class of graduating 8th graders - has attended DP since its first year, my younger daughter started kindergarten at DP two years later, and I joined DP staff two years after that when we moved into the new building four years ago.  Since then, some of our staff (including both our principal and founder) have enrolled their own children as they became school-aged, and other parents of students have also climbed on board as staff.  I now count 11 of us, and anticipate the number will only continue to grow as our families do!  

This is something special that I have not encountered in the same way elsewhere.  It demonstrates that staff believes so strongly in DP’s vision that we desire for our own children to be educated in this way, and that parent professionals witnessing the environment in which their children are learning are drawn in themselves.  What results is a staff community that truly understands the value and meaning of family and is constantly working to better its practices, as well as an overall presence of genuine love in the building.  It is a beautiful thing to get to witness the small moments throughout the day: the quick hugs and check-ins in the halls, the secret side-eyes and whispered I loves yous, children helping their parents set up bulletin boards or staple packets, parents watching their children in class with pride and amusement, children cringing and rolling their eyes at their uncool parents or requesting to be ignored when parents are in their classes.  (The last couple examples might only be from my own now teenager.)  It is just one more reason why I genuinely love Detroit Prep!

Family Matters

Detroit Prep values families, not just students.  When we are able to fully partner with families to support students in all facets of life and provide continuity between school and home, progress is made all the faster, and children feel the most empowered in their own growth.  

In the Student Support Team, we strive to connect with families to meet all kinds of student needs.  Whether to develop a just right Individual Education Program or 504 Plan, dialogue about best practices and accommodations for a particular assignment, meet with incoming families of students with IEPs to ensure seamless support and transition, or help find community resources for families, we desire to develop relationships with and provide support to families.

One reason I love my job as a special education teacher at DP is that I often get to watch the same students grow and share that continued success with their families over the course of many years, and often families become friends and in turn encourage and support me in my work.  Detroit Prep has proven to me that strengthening the connections between families and schools benefits all stakeholders: students, families, and staff.

It Takes a Crew

At Detroit Prep, it is truly a team effort, and all that effort pays off!  I have never worked at a school that has such a comprehensive wrap-around plan for each and every student.  The meetings we hold to plan for student success are so intentional and specific and include clear accountability so that all team members know their next steps and can envision the trajectory.  Having classroom teachers, administrators, interventionists, support team members, and operations staff all united in vision and working towards growth both academically and socio-emotionally nurtures students in the direction of their greatest potential.  

It is a joy to watch the impact of intentional structure and high expectations delivered by a staff consistently embodying the habits of character they teach students to reflect upon and internalize.  To witness a student grow in confidence and capability is the truest reward of this profession, and nowhere else have I been as blessed to get to witness so much of it.